Allies and Enemies
by Completely Different
Summary: Azula knows that a princess can't have friends, only allies. Then why was she so distraught over Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal? Oneshot.


For the Fire Nation Princess, there are no friends; only allies. Allies and enemies.

To have friends, you give away your trust- the most dangerous weapon in the world. With friends you are weak.

It had always been that way, for as long as she could remember. When she was a child, she realized she could use her power to get her way. The servants would listen to her, get her everything she needed. They took care of her, protected her. But they were only servants. Allies.

It was the same for family- her Uncle, the Crown Prince, and her cousin Lu Ten. She knew if she got on their good side, one day she too would have their power.

But she wasn't satisfied with that. After years of family outings and royal gatherings her patience began to wear thin with Iroh and his son. Lu Ten was boring, too soft spoken for her tastes. _And Uncle's such a fuddy duddy, _she would think. _Hardly suited to be Fire Lord. _

Eventually, those allies became her enemies.

And then there was her mother. She was always butting in, disgracing her. _You cannot threaten the servants, Azula, do you understand me? _Or once, in the middle of a banquet; _How dare you say that! Apologize right now, young lady!_

The worst thing was that she would never act that way with Zuko. Instead, Ursa would play with him, tuck him in at night. _Why does she love him more than me? _Azula would ask herself.

Ursa, too, became an enemy.

Then, suddenly, everything changed. Lu Ten died at war. Her Uncle, stricken with grief, lost the victory at Ba Sing Se. Her mother disappeared, although Azula was sure she'd been killed by the Fire Lord's guards, who were sworn into secrecy.

And the true victory? Fire Lord Azulon was dead, leaving the thrown to his youngest son, seeing as Iroh was 'no longer fit'. She was now Princess Azula.

Her power grew even more, if that was possible. The gifts she was given by cousins and other noblemen became more extravagant; pearl earrings that glinted like moonlight, dresses of the finest silk. And without her mother to punish her, nobody could tell her what to do.

But her happiness quickly turned sour. She was only Princess. Her brother was the one who would inherit the crown.

It seemed so ridiculous. Zuko was quick to anger and weak, terrible traits for a leader. And he couldn't even fire-bend properly! _She _would be so much better suited to be Fire Lord.

There was only one way, she knew. Somehow she would have to get her brother out of the picture. Maybe, when she was older, she's higher an assassin….or, she could make it look like an accident….

But beneath her scheming, even if she'd never admit it, there was a little bit of regret. She didn't really want turn this ally into an enemy. Zuko was still her brother.

So when the Prince was banished, sent on a fool's quest, Azula was satisfied. Her brother was out of the way, and she hadn't needed to do a thing. And if she was at all sad for her brother's fate, she hid it underneath a shell of cold conceit.

She had come a long way since then. She had gone to finishing school, completing her education. She had mastered the art of lightning, the most advanced aspect of fire-bending, by the age of fourteen. She had executed the coup which had finally felled Ba Sing Se's great wall. She had been at the top of the world.

And then came that terrible day.

It should have been easy. Enter the prison, get Zuko, and use him as a demonstration. Get the Avatar and his friends, if it was possible. It was all going so well until…

There was a silver flash of knifes. Guards were pinned to the wall. The gondola drifted through the steam, Zuko and his companions escaping.

And standing in the middle of it was Mai; as calm and dark as the night.

_You miscounted. I love Zuko more than I fear you. _

A silent scream raged in the Azula's heart. Mai couldn't have just stabbed her in the back! She was her childhood companion. They had gone to finishing school together. She was an _ally. _

A fire welled up in Azula; a terrible, icy fire. It raced up her arms, to her finger tips. It sparked and flared, desperate to escape. Desperate to strike down that pathetic girl, to teach her a lesson.

Bam!

The spark died in her hand, and a terrible pain shot through the princess's body.

Azula fell to the floor with a gasp.

Ty Lee rushed to her friend's side, her grey eyes filled with desperation. The two girls were surrounded by guards. There was no chance of escape.

Slumped on the ground, Azula was pressed to the metal, unable to move. Her limbs felt like they were frozen, but her mind was an inferno of hatred. She shot her two _enemies _a glare.

_Put them somewhere where I'll never have to see their faces again! _

Everything had gone wrong. Zuko and the other prisoners had escaped, and Mai and Ty Lee had turned on her….where had her planning gone wrong?

_It doesn't matter, _Azula though angrily. _There will be other chances to catch the Avatar and my brother. And who cares about the other two? They were just allies!_

But if they were just allies, why did the Princess cut her hair in anger? Why did the Princess banish her most loyal servants? Why could you hear desperate crying coming from her room?

Why was the Princess now tied to the ground, screaming as angry tears roll down her face? Why do her tortured screams echo about the palace? Why do the Prince and the water tribe peasant look down on her with a look of pity?

Because Ty Lee and Mai had been her friends.

And now Azula knew the truth. For a Fire Nation Princess there are no Friends. There are no Allies. There are only enemies.


End file.
